Toy machine gun



S. l. BERGER TOY MACHINE GUN Nov. 13, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed May 19, 1947 INVENTOR BY v 06% 9% ATTO R N EYS S, l. BERGER TOY MACHINE GUN Nov. 13, 1951 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed May 19, 1947' INVENTOR SamzzeZ fier ger OWWWWVW ATTO R N EYS Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE TOY GUN Samuel I. Berger, Newark, N. J.

Application May 19, 1947, Serial No. 748,950

2 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical toys and more particularly to a toy machine gun of the spring motor driven type.

As conducive to a clear understanding of the invention, it is to be noted that in the assembly of a toy machine gun of the conventional type, the parts of the spring motor actuating the same are generally mounted on one side of the frame of the gun and the other side is thereupon aflixed to the first side to complete the assembly. If, after the gun is completely assembled, the motor should prove to be defective, the gun must be completely disassembled, repaired and reassembled, which procedure is so time consuming and costly that it is more economical to discard the entire toy.

It is accordingly among the objects of my invention to provide a toy machine gun of light, rugged and inexpensive construction, which has substantially all the advantages of that of my previous application Serial No. 668,290, filed May 8, 1945, now Patent No. 25303303, including the use substantially only of sheet metal and rod stock, to simulate the appearance of a genuine machine gun, which is realistic in operation by simulating the clatter of a machine gun and the flash at the muzzle, which in use is not likely to cause injury to the child and which has the advantage over said prior invention of greater simplicity in construction and ease in assembly and replacement of the motor if on inspection and test, the device be found to be defective.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a top elevationof the toy,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale taken on line 3-3 of Fig. I,

Fig. 4 is an end view from the muzzle of the Fig. 5 is a transverse. sectional view taken on line -5--5 of Fig-2,

Fi 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-6 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 7 is a sectional; detail view takenon line 'i-l' of Fig. 2, v

Fig. 8 is a sectionaldetail view taker-ion line;

8-43 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spring motor drive unit.

Referring now to the drawings. the comprises a body in which is a casing composed of two complementary sheet metal stampings ll V 2 and I2, each forming an outline which includes the stock l3. The two complementary pieces are assembled together by crimping the edge [4 of one about the angle formation i5 on the other to form a seam l6. One of the complementary pieces I I has a substantially rectangular aperture l1 therein into which a spring motor drive unit I8 may be inserted. The edge of aperture I! has a countersunk flange l1 unitary therewith on which a cover plate i9 having a slot l9 therethrough, may be seated so as to be flush with the surface of complementary piece H. The cover plate [9 is afiixed over said aperture by means of lugs 20 unitary with the edgeof the flange 11' and extending through corresponding openings 2| in said cover plate I 9.

The barrel 22 is made of a single piece of sheet metal corrugated at '23 to simulate cooling vanes, uncorrugated at its front or muzzle 24 which has a pair of sights 24" preferably embossed thereon,

and provided with side pieces 25 unitary therewith. The rear edge of the barrel unit is crimped to the forward edge of the bodyunit as at 26 by a seam similar to that above described and shown in Fig. 8. i

The spring motor drive unit it may be of more or'less conventional construction and'comprises a substantially rectangular box-like frame 21 of sheet metal open at the top and bottom thereof and slightly smaller in face dimensions than aperture l! in the body H) of the gun so that it may readily be inserted thereinafter the constituent parts of the motor are assembled on the frame. The top edges of frame 2! have a plurality of upstanding lugs 2-8 unitary therewithby means of which the frame 21 may be securely -a,f-' fixed to the top 2'9 of the body, the lugs being insertable in corresponding openings 30 in said top 29. The spring motor includes a coil spring 3i within its cylindrical shell 32' and wound around a shaft 33 journalled in openings inthe side walls 34 and 35 of the frame and extending laterally outward from wall '34. The coil spring 3| is wound by means of a key conformation 36 on the end of shaft 33 and a conventional winding pawl; and ratchet (not shown). Shell 32. has a gear 3'! afl'ixed thereto-which meshes with a pinion 38 on countershaft "39 which countershaft also carries a-gear 4!! which in turn meshes with pinion H on a second countershaft 42 which carries a crown gear 43, the latter driving a pyrophoric flash sim-' ulation unit which will :be described hereinafter.

Countershafts .39 and 42. are journalled in openings inside walls M and 35 of the framewas is countershaft whichparries a gear dipreferably;

meshing directly with gear 31 and a clapper ac' tuating ratchet wheel 46 which simulates the sound of a machine gun and the operation of which will be described below.

Flash simulation is efiected by an abrasive wheel 41 driven from the spring motor and a pyrophoric tip or flint 48 riding on the periphery thereof. The abrasive wheel is keyed upon an axle 49 along witha pinion 56, the axle bearing in sheet metal standards I, the latter being part of a substantially U-shaped bracket 52 aflixed to closure plate 53 bridging across the lower edges of the side walls 25 of the barrel by lugs or tines 54. The flint 48 is riveted to a sheet, metal strip 55 with a bent-out heel 56 extending through a corresponding slot 51 in the upper part of the muzzle 24 and with end tongues 58 overlapping the muzzle and loosely supporting the stri 55.

The transmission from crown gear 43 of the spring motor to the abrasive wheel 4'! is by way of a drive rod 59 which passes through an opening 59' in wall 69 of the frame l8 and bears at one end in an arm 66 turned inwardly from side wall 34 of the frame 2'! and unitary therewith and at its opposite end in the upper part of a cross plate 62 bridging between and preferably integral with the standards 5|. Aflixed to the rear end of the drive rod 59 in front of arm 69 is a pinion 63 which meshes with the crown gear 43,

and at the forward extremitv of said rod 59 beyond the bearing or cross plate 62 is keyed the hub 64 of a crown pinion 65 meshing with the pinion 56.

The clatter producing member is a short leaf of spring steel 66 riveted as at 61 to the under face of the upper wall of the barrel at the root end thereof, with a portion 68 thereof normally in juxtaposition to' the under face of the top wall 29 of the body III, the forward part of said leaf extending through an opening 66' on the front wall 69 of the frame and in the path of the teeth of ratchet wheel 46.

The motor is normally restrained by a brake, comprising preferably a sheet metal pawl 15 pivoted by a rivet H to the side wall 34 of the frame 21 and having a pawl tongue 12 which meshes with the pinion 63, as best shown in Fig. 5. The pawl is retained in such meshing position by a flexed spring wire 13 releasably pivoted as at 14. at its forward end to the lo er end of the pawl 10, and extending the length of the body and reacting at its opposite end against the back wall' ID of the body. Release of the motor and operation of the tov is efiected by a tri ger which comprises a bar 11 pivotally mounted as at 18 to the side of complementary piece [2 and having its trigger end 19 ex osed for o eration through a trigger slot 86 in the body. The wire 13 extends through an aperture 13 in said trigger bar sli htl abo e the trigger and has a right angled bend 14' therein against which the trigger bar presses.

Installation and operation The body of the gun is assembled together with the clap er strip 66, the flash simulation device com rising the abrasive wheel 41, pinion 50, crown pinion 65, drive rod 59, pinion 63 and trigger 15 with flexible wire 13. The constituent parts of the spring motor drive unit 58 are assembled on frame 21 and the end of drive rod 59 is inserted through the opening 59' in wall 69 of t e frame into the bearing opening in arm 60 so that pinion 63 meshes with crown gear 43. The forward end ofwire i3 is inserted into the lower end of the pawl and the drive unit '3' is then positioned in aperture I! in body I!) so that clapper strip 66 enters opening 66 in wall 69 with its free end in juxtaposition to ratchet wheel 46. The tines 28 on the top of frame 21 are inserted through the openings 30 in the body 10 and bent over securely to hold the motor unit in place. Cover plate I9 is placed over aperture l1 and seated on flange l1 so that key conformation 36 passes through slot l9 and the tines or lugs 20 pass through the openings 2| in the cover plate. These tines are then bent over to complete the assembly.

The motor being wound, the gun is operated bypulling the trigger 15 which, through the wire 13, releases the pawl 10 from the pinion 63. The spring motor thereupon drives the crown gear 43 at fairly high speed and through the pinion 63, drives rod 59 and crown pinion 65, spins the abrasive wheel 41 so that flint 48 riding thereon generates sparks which are propelled outward through the muzzle 24 giving the simulation -of a flash.

The clapper ratchet wheel 46 driven from the motor alternately pushes the clapper strip 66 downward drawing it away from the body wall 29 and upon quick release thereof, causes portion [8 thereof to strike said wall with the clatter desired.

Upon release of the trigger 15, the spring wire 13 pushes bar 11 forward. about its pivot 18 and the bar 11 in turn moves the front portion of wire 13 forward to pivot pawl 10 back into engagement with pinion 63 and brakes the motor pending subsequent operation.

As the motor is a complete unit in itself, it may conveniently be tested before insertion into the body of the gun, and if after insertion, it should fail to work it can quickly and easily be replaced by a new unit without discarding the entire gun. This feature increases the speed of assembly of such toy guns and greatly reduces the cost thereof.

As the only parts likely to wear out aftercontinued use of the'gun are the abrasive wheel and the flint, these parts are made readily available for repair or replacement by simply spreading the tines holding the closure plate 53 and removing the latter along with the U-shaped bracket 52 affixed thereto and mounting the abrasive wheel. With the closure plate 53 removed, the flint 48 is exposed and can be easily removed.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A toy machine gun comprising a body having an aperture therein on one side thereof, a barrel having a muzzle afilxed to said body and extending longitudinally thereof, a spring steel clapper riveted at one end adjacent to the rear end of said barrel and extending into said body, a drive unit having a spring motor removably mounted in said aperture, a cover plate removably affixed to said body over said aperture, thereby closing the latter, a ratchet wheel mounted on said drive unit and driven by said spring motor, said ratchet wheel having teeth riding over the free end of said clapper, said clapper'having a portion striking the bddyafter each deflection and release thereof by said ratchet wheel, a spark producing flint in the muzzle, an abrasive wheel coacting therewith, and a transmission comprising a drive rod longitudinally of said barrel extending from said abrasive wheel into said body, a pinion affixed to the .end of said drive rod in said body, a crown gear journalled in said removable drive unit and meshing with said pinion to drive the latter and rotate said abrasive wheel, a brake for said motor comprising a pawl pivoted to said body and resiliently 1o urged into engagement with said pinion, and a trigger pivotally mounted on said body and connected to said pawl to disengage the latter from said pinion.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said barrel has a pair of side pieces unitary therewith and extending downward therefrom, a closure'plate bridging across the lower edges of said side pieces and removably aflixed thereto, a

6 pair of standards affixed to said closure plate, an axle bearing in said standards, said abrasive wheel keyed on said axle, a strip afiixed at one end to said barrel and a flint at the free end of said strip and resting on said abrasive wheel.

SAMUEL I. BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,055,848 Marx Sept. 29, 1936 2,092,872 Bonnet Sept. 14, 1937 2,097,749 Wade Nov. 2, 1937 2,117,597 Berger May 17, 1938 2,122,467 Heppner July 5, 1938 2,157,181 Lohr May 9, 1939 

